President Biden And King Abdullah II Highlight Israel's Attack On Rafah City

President Biden with Jordanian King Abdullah II. (Twitter/@WhiteHouse)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden and Jordanian King Abdullah II highlighted Israel's attack on Rafah City in southern Gaza, when the two leaders met at the White House on Monday.

Speaking after a meeting with King Abdullah II, President Biden reiterated that Israeli military operations should not be carried out in Rafah "without credible plans to ensure safety and aid" for the more than one million people sheltering there.

"We have also been clear from the start that we are against the forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza," said Biden, as reported by The Times of Israel on February 13.

As previously reported, a joint operation by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel's domestic security service Shin Bet and the Special Police Unit in Rafah released Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Louis Hare (70) Israeli military said. The military said the two were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7, in good condition and taken to the Tel Hashomer Medical Complex (Sheba Medical Center).

Israel's attack on Rafah came a day after President Biden made a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming his stance that the Israeli military should not continue ground attacks on the Rafah "without credible and executable plans" to ensure the safety of civilians.

The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza told CNN that at least 94 people died as a result of an Israeli attack on Rafah City.

The ministry also said it was still in the process of taking and identifying bodies, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent said more than 100 people had died as a result of last night's attack on Rafah. PRCS added that there are still many people trapped under the rubble and the death toll may increase.

"The situation has been unbearable for more than one million people forced to flee to Rafah since the war began," said King Abdullah.

"The potential threat of refugees from Palestinians outside the borders of Gaza and the West Bank is something we consider very concerning and cannot be tolerated," he stressed.